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END 011 科技英文寫作 ( 二 )-10 English Technical Writing ( 二 )-10

END 011 科技英文寫作 ( 二 )-10 English Technical Writing ( 二 )-10. Prof. Jeffrey Shiang Fu 傅祥 教授 jeffsfu@gmail.com 0987-520-488 / (03)2118-800*5795. Choosing Verb Tense and Voice in Describing Materials

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END 011 科技英文寫作 ( 二 )-10 English Technical Writing ( 二 )-10

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  1. END 011科技英文寫作 (二)-10English Technical Writing (二)-10 Prof. Jeffrey Shiang Fu 傅祥 教授 jeffsfu@gmail.com 0987-520-488 / (03)2118-800*5795

  2. Choosing Verb Tense and Voice in Describing Materials In the first part of this chapter we looked at some conventions for organizing information about the materials used in your study. LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS

  3. There are also some grammatical conventions you should know in order to describe materials clearly in your report. These conventions mainly involve choosing the correct verb tense and voice.

  4. Choosing Verb Tenses – Samples and Populations Sentences describing the subjects or materials used in a study require either the past or the present tense. Notice that the boys described in the preceding example were specific individuals selected to take part in the study.

  5. In other words, they were a sample selected by the experimenters to represent an entire population of high risk boys. When we describe the sample used in a study we commonly use the past tense.

  6. DESCRIBING SAMPLES:Past Tense Verbs Main verb (past) Sample Description

  7. DESCRIBING SAMPLES:Past Tense Verbs

  8. However, when describing the general population from which the sample subjects were selected, the present tense is normally used.

  9. DESCRIBING POPULATIONS: Present Tense Verbs Main verb (present) Population Description

  10. DESCRIBING POPULATIONS: Present Tense Verbs Main verb (present) Population Description

  11. Use of Tenses with Conventional and Specially Designed Materials We have seen previously that verb tense can be determined by whether you are describing a general population or a sample selected from a population.

  12. We find a similar convention determining verb tenses when we describe other materials. If you use equipment in your study which is standard or conventional in your field and probably familiar to most other researchers, you should describe it using the present tense.

  13. DESCRIBING CONVENTIONAL MATERIAL: Present Tense Verbs Main verb (present) Conventional material Description

  14. DESCRIBING CONVENTIONAL MATERIAL: Present Tense Verbs Main verb (present) Conventional material Description

  15. On the other hand, descriptions of specially designed materials with which other workers in your field may not be familiar are usually written in the past tense. Common devices that you modified in some special way for use in your study are also sometimes described in the past.

  16. DESCRIBING SPECIALLY DESIGNED OR MODIFIED MATERIALS: Past Tense Verbs Main verb (past) Modified material Description

  17. Using Active and Passive Voice in Describing Materials Both active and passive voice verb constructions are used in describing experimental materials. Your decision to use active or passive voice depends partly on whether the verb is transitive or intransitive.

  18. Only transitive verbs can be used in the passive voice. (Your dictionary will tell you if a given verb is transitive or intransitive.) If the verb is transitive, follow these rules to determine which voice to use:

  19. The passive voice is usually used when a human agent (the experimenter) is manipulating the materials.

  20. HUMAN AGENT INVOLVED: Passive Voice • EXAMPLE A: The temperature inside the chamber was increased from o° tor 20℃. (The researcher increased the temperature.) • EXAMPLE B: Four thermocouples were monitored hourly. (A researcher monitored them.)

  21. The active voice is usually used when no human is directly responsible for manipulating the materials － that is, when the materials operate “by themselves.”

  22. NO HUMAN AGENT INVOLVED: Active Voice • EXAMPLE C: A 200 hp generator provided power to the piezometers. • EXAMPLE D: Control gauges monitored air pressure inside the chamber.

  23. In examples C and D, the use of the active voice indicates that the experimenters were not directly involved in the functioning of the equipment.

  24. The passive voice may be used to describe an action involving a nonhuman agent, but a phrase must be included to indicate the agent.

  25. NO HUMAN AGENT INVOLVED : Passive Voice • EXAMPLE E: Power was supplied by 14 generators with capacities ranging from 90 to 300 KW

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